Keyhole cover



R. T. WHITE KEYHOLE COVER May 23, 1939 Filed Sept. 28, 1938 WT T IN!'ENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention aims to provide a simple means whereby, if a key is leftin the inside of a door,

a person on the outside of the door cannot put something in the outsidekey hole of the door, turn the key, unlock the lock which the keycontrols, and open the door from the outside: whereby a person on theoutside of the door cannot put an instrument in the lock, from theoutside, take the device apart and open the door unlawfully from theoutside: and whereby, if there is a key in the inside of the door, andheld against turning, a person on the inside of the door may release thekey, turn it, and open the door. The device is characterized by novelstructure accomplishing the results stated.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an edge elevation of a door to which the device forming thesubject matter has been applied, parts being in section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective illustrating a device constructed in accordancewith the invention.

The numeral I marks a door or other closure. The door I carries a lock2. The lock 2 comprises a casing 3, shown as mounted within the door I.An outer escutcheon plate 4 is secured to the door I. The outerescutcheon plate 4 has a key hole 5. An inner escutcheon plate 6 issecured to the door I. The inner escutcheon plate has a key hole I. Thelock casing 3 is provided with an inner key hole 8 and an outer key hole9. The key holes 5, I, 8 and 9 are in line. The lock 2 is controlled bya key Ill. The key IE includes a shaft II carrying a turning head I2 anda bit I4. The parts I to I4 are common. No novelty is claimed for them,saving insofar as they cooperate with parts hereinafter described.

The device forming the subject matter of this application preferably ismade of metal. It includes a key hole cover plate I5, of any desiredoutline. The key hole cover plate I5 has an elongated horizontal slotI5. The key hole cover plate I5 is supplied on its inner surface with avertical rib IT. The rib I! is arranged at right angles to the slot I5and extends upwardly to the slot, at a point about midway between theends of the slot. The rib I! is shaped to fit in the key hole "I of theinner escutcheon plate 6. The key hole cover plate I5 fits against theinher escutcheon plate 6, as shown in Fig. 1. The rib I! is shortenough, considered vertically, so that it does not close the upper partof the key hole I in the inner escutcheon plate 6. One of the functionsof the rib I! is to prevent the key hole cover plate I5 from turningaround a horizontal axis represented by the shaft I I of the key I0.

In the key hole cover plate I5 and in its rib II, a short horizontalshaft I8 is journaled. An operating member or handle I9 is secured toone end of the shaft I8 and is disposed externally of the key hole coverplate I5. A keeper 20 is secured intermediate'its ends to the shaft I8.The keeper 20 is narrow enough, so that when it is vertically disposed,it can pass through the key hole I of the inner escutcheon plate 6.When, however, the shaft I8 is rotated by means of the handle IS, thekeeper 2!! extends crosswise of the key hole 1 in the inner escutcheonplate 6, as in Fig. 3, and the key hole cover plate I5 is held in place.

A vertical fin 2|, arranged at right angles to the slot IS in the coverplate I5 (Fig. 4) projects from the rib H, at right angles to the keyhole cover plate I5. The fin 2I is adapted to enter the lower part onlyof the inner key hole 8 of the casing 3, as shown in Fig. 1. The fin 2Ihas an opening 22. The keeper 2!! on the shaft I8 operates in theopening 22.

The key hole cover plate I5 is supplied with an external neck 23. Inshape, the neck 23 corresponds to the shape of the slot IS in the coverplate I5. The inner end of a retainer or cap 24 is detachably mounted onthe neck 23. The retainer or cap 24 is of unequal transverse dimensions. Its vertical height is such that, when the head I2 of the key Inis in it, a person cannot reach through the key holes 5 and 9 of Fig. I,grab the shaft II or the bit I4 of the key II] with a pair of pliers orthe like, turn the key, unlock the lock 2, and open the door I.

Any suitable means may be provided for holding the retainer or cap 24 onthe neck 23 of the key hole cover plate I5. If desired, spring tongues25 may be located in the retainer or cap 24, the outer ends of thespring tongues being secured at 26 to the retainer or cap. Intermediatetheir ends, the spring tongues 25 are supplied with outwardly andlaterally extended push buttons 2T, slidable in the opposed walls of theretainer or cap 24. At their inner ends, the spring tongues 25 aresupplied with outwardly extended projections 28, adapted to be receivedin seats 29 formed in the neck 23 of the key hole cover plate l5.

The fin 2I is in the lower part of the key hole 8, and it will not bepossible to insert an instrument from the outside, through the key hole9, turn the keeper 20 around until it is alined with the keyhole 8, pushoff the complete article shown in Fig. 4, set the key In free, andunlock the lock 2 by turning the key from the outside. It will not bepossible to lay hold of the key by way of the key holes 5 and 9, andturn the key, because the head l2 of the key cannot turn in the cap orretainer 24. If a person on the in side of the door desires to turn thekey I0, he pushes in on the buttons 21, releases the projections 28 ofthe spring tongues 25 from their seats 29 on the neck 23 of the key holecover plate l5, and takes off the cap or retainer 24. The retainer orcap 24 no longer prevents the key ID from being turned by means of thehead l2, and the key may be operated either to lock or unlock the door.

In order to avoid confusion in construing what is claimed, it should benoted that such words as inner, outer, and the like, are used in thesame sense as a reference to the "inner an outer surfaces of the door.

What is claimed is: v

A device of the class described, comprising a main member so shaped asto be placed against the inside surface of a closure, a keeper disposedoutwardly of the main member and of elongated shape to pass outwardlythrough the lower part of the inside key-hole'of a closure, means foroperating the keeper from the inside of the closure, to dispose thekeeper transversely of the inner keyhole, thereby to hold the mainmember on the closure, a retainer so shaped as to cooperate with thehead of an inside key and prevent the key from being turned, meansaccessible from the inside of the main member for holding the retainerreleasably on the main member, and a fin carried by the main member andshaped to fit in the lower portion of the inner key hole,

I the fin extending outwardly of the keeper, to

serve as a guard therefor, to prevent the keeper from being turned fromthe outside of door,

thereby to release the retainer and make the key accessible for turningfrom without the door.

, RAYMOND T. WHITE.

